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A Dictionary of Astronomy

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

bolometer

bolometer , instrument for detecting and measuring radiation , e.g., visible light , infrared radiation , and ultraviolet radiation , in amounts as small as one millionth of an erg . The bolometer was invented in 1880 by Samuel P. Langley. Basically it consists of a radiation-sensitive resistance element in one branch of a Wheatstone bridge; changes in radiation cause changes in the electrical resistance of the element. The radiation-sensitive element may be a platinum strip, a semiconductor film, or any other substance whose resistance is altered by slight changes in the amount of radiant energy falling on it.

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bolometer

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | Â© A Dictionary of Astronomy 1997, originally published by Oxford University Press 1997. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

bolometer A detector sensitive to radiation of all wavelengths. It has a blackened surface so that the incoming radiation raises its temperature, which is measured from a change in electrical resistance. While the bolometer can be used at any wavelength, it is best suited to measuring infrared wavelengths longer than 6 μm.

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